I got to see a Panda

As my flatmate once said “if there was an Olympic sleeping team you would be the captain”. So yes I slept in again today. Got myself to the appropriate metro station and took the 20 odd minute trip out to the Madrid Zoo. It is very well sign posted from the station to the zoo along the kilometre walk. One reason why I chose to come to Madrid is because they have pandas at the zoo. Yes, they have them at the Adelaide zoo but while I was in Spain I might as well see a panda. Maybe I will go and see the ones in Adelaide as well and take my niece and nephew.

I was going to take Percy but I was a little worried about bag snatchers . He can’t go from being the kept panda of leisure to a gypsy panda waylaying los turistas, so he had to miss out on seeing his relatives. The female panda gave birth to a male cub in August so she and her cub were in a room away from the public. There was a camera on her though and she spent the hours that I was there curled up in a ball, I assume with her cub curled up in the middle. The male panda Bing Xing ( which means Star of ice, I hope not the illegal kind) spent the whole time eating. eating eating eating eating.

here Bing Xing is eating

here Bing Xing is eating

here Bing Xing is eating

here Bing Xing is eating

here Bing Xing is eating

this is the mother panda in a ball. cuddling her cub

here Bing Xing is eating

Bing Xing can eat like I can drink

There must have been something in the water cause there were lots of animals with “babies”. I spotted some wallabies giving it a bit of a go. I tried to take a photo for you but it was blurry.

It is a massive zoo, some of the enclosures seemed a little unfair.

this brown bear was looking at us like we were the ones in the zoo, which I suppose we were ;)

this bear made me feel a little sad

sacred- secret which one do they mean?

after I took this photo a woman came and started yelling at me in Spanish . I said in Spanish that I do not speak Spanish and she continued to yell-either I walked into her shot or this bird should not be photographed. she was very passionate about whatever it was that I had done to upset her. I said what I thought was “I am sorry” but it turns out , I learned later, I had asked her for the bill.

getting to the Australian section felt like as long as it takes to fly there.- I had to say g’day to my peeps.

you can’t tell but this happy orangutan was hanging out with her little orangutans

this little elephant was still not the best at walking .it was very cute to watch.

It was a nice day. I went “home” via the market to get a take away Mojito. Take away Mojitos should be available in Caulfield North. My cousin Malcolm had recommended a tapas place so I went looking for it, got lost, found a place I thought looked welcoming, kept walking checked google maps realised I was very close to the place he had recommended went back , low and behold it was the place I thought looked welcoming. It was welcoming and the food didn’t cause any stomach upsets. Thanks Malcolm :D

Yes, Pandas are a pretty dull lot really ….. sorry Percy. BTW some time away with the gypsies could be exciting Percy. Why don’t you get Broni to drop you with some kindly looking ones on her way to the airport? then you could continue the blog without her interference. Where’s the bullfighting story????